This cemetery is located 5 miles east of Clinton near Newberry line in Laurens County, South Carolina. This church was organized in 1764.photo: Gerald McCraryclick on
any of the small thumbnails throughout this page for a full size view

"About the year 1763 or 1764, Messrs. Joseph Adair, Thomas Erving,
William Hanna, Andrew McCrory and his brothers, united in building a
house of worship."Duncan Creek Church is situated in Laurens district, on the waters of
Enoree, a branch of Broad river. It was principally composed of
emigrants from Ireland and Pennsylvania with their descendants, some of
whom settled here as early as 1758. The original settlement was made
three years before Braddock's defeat, by Mr. John Duncan, of Aberdeen,
Scotland, who first emigrated to Pennsylvania, and thence removed here
and settled on the creek which bears his name. He was the highest
settler by ten miles in the fork between the Saluda and Broad rivers,
and the only man at this time who had either negro, wagon, or still, in
this part of the world. His nearest neighbor was Jacob Pennington,
living on the Enoree below. "About the year 1763 or 1764, Messrs. Joseph Adair, Thomas
Erving, William Hanna, Andrew McCrory and his brothers, united in
building a house of worship. In 1766 they were visited by Mr.
Duffield, Mr. Fuller, and Mr. Campbell. Mr. Duffield was probably George D.D.,
who was licensed by the presbytery of Newcastle in 1756, and was
sent by the synod of New York to Carolina in 1765, and was afterwards
settled in Carlisle and Philadelphia. Campbell was James Campbell, who
joined the South Carolina presbytery in 1758, and became pastor of the
Bluff church in North Carolina. Afterwards they were visited by Rev.
Hezekiah Balch, licensed by the presbytery of Newcastle in 1768-9. Mr.
Balch advised the people to choose elders. This was done. Andrew McCrory,
Joseph Adair, and Robert Hanna, were elected, and ordained by Mr. Balch.
James Pollock and Thomas Logan having come into the bounds of the
congregation a short time before, the former from Pennsylvania and the latter
from Ireland, on producing certificates of their membership and
ordination, were chosen elders of this church. The communion was also
administered, the number of communicants at that time being about sixty.
"The manners and dress of these first settlers must have been quite
primitive. Their dress was as follows: hunting shirt, leggings, and
moccasins, adorned with buckles and beads. The hair was clubbed and tied
up in a little deerskin or silk bag. At another time they wore their
hair cued and rolled up in a black ribbon or bear's-gut dressed and dyed
black. Again it became a custom to shave off the hair and wear white
linen caps with ruffles around. The women's dress was long-eared caps,
Virginia bonnets, short gowns, long gowns, stays, stomachers, quilted
petticoats, high wooded heels. There was little market for produce
except to the new settlers. Trade was carried on in skins and furs. Deer
and beaver skins were a lawful tender in payment of debts. Winter skins
were 18 pence sterling, Indian-dressed skins $1 per pound.

Testimony of James Duncan, son of the first settler

Source: "History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina" by
George Howe, 1965, Volume I, pg. 335-336.

these smaller photos can be enlarged by
clicking on themI
took these December 2012 - my first visit

South Carolina Department of Archives and HistoryNational Register Properties in
South CarolinaDuncan's
Creek Presbyterian Church
with photos
National Register Properties in South Carolina
Duncan's Creek Presbyterian Church, Laurens County (S.C. Sec. Rd. 34,
Clinton vicinity)

(Old Rock Church) Duncan’s Creek Presbyterian Church, built ca. 1842, is
one of the earliest examples of rural church architecture in the upper
part of the state. Its unadorned simplicity and solid stone construction
are characteristic of buildings erected by early Scotch-Irish settlers
in the Southeast. A simple rectangular building constructed of irregular
stones, the church stands as a reminder of mid-nineteenth century rustic
church architecture. The gable end is the main entrance façade and is
centered with double doors flanked by two narrow windows at a slightly
higher level. Its simplicity, uncomplicated symmetry, and fine stone
masonry are features that make it a valuable record of upcountry rural
architecture. One of the few changes made in the church was the removal
of the original rear slave gallery in the first third of the twentieth
century. Many churches in Laurens County are “daughters” of this old
church as members of its congregation left to establish new churches in
neighboring areas. The church is situated on a wooded site and is
flanked by a cemetery containing carved stone markers of both
Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers. The earliest grave dates from
1776. Listed in the National Register November 15, 1973.

The following served in the Revolutionary War and their names are listed on a marble tablet placed by the DARs on the front inside wall of Duncan Creek Presbyterian Church:

This one was taken by me, Christmastime, 2012 - I finally made it to Duncan
Creek!

The following historical excerpts were taken from the South Carolina
Magazine of Ancestral Research:

The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Volume XII
Fall 1984 Number 4
EARLY ELDERS OF DUNCAN CREEK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH LAURENS COUNTY, SC

While the early records of Duncan Creek Presbyterian Church (near Clinton, SC) were
destroyed by fire in 1844, a record of the first elders was kept and recorded in the book
beginning in 1844 and going through 1891. A copy of this record may be seen at the Historical
Foundation of the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches, Montreat, NC, as well as a copy kept
by the church itself. Only the names of the earliest elders are published here.

"These were the first Elders ordained by Revd. Hezekiah Balch, before or during the war"

These six Elders were ordained in October 1788, by Revd. Joseph Alexander.

Thomas McCrery
Joseph Greer
Samuel Laird
Robert Long
James Craig
Robert Bell

The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol 13

Hazel Crowson Sellers of North Carolina in her book on Old South Carolina Churches says that
John Duncan was joined by his friends Joseph Adair and Robert Long, both of whom were
Revolutionary War soldiers, and that Hezekiah Balch held services at Duncan Creek as early as
1752. Joseph Palmer, a minister, is also said to have been a friend of John Duncan, and was so
popular that when he went to Indiana in 1828 a number of the old friends followed him.

The present building at Duncan Creek is said to be the third erected on the lot, having been built
in 1842, and the earliest known grave is that of Susannah Long, dated in 1776. A number of
soldiers went from this church to fight in the patriot's cause.

OWENS, Thomas, husband of Ailcey Owens
1789 - July 10, 1828
In the 39th Year of his Age

OWENS, Thomas
Nov. 1811 -(broken)

OWENS, Mattie Lou, dau. of T. & S. Owens
Feb 13,1870 - Aug 28, 1884

OWENS, John Robert, son of T. & S. Owens
1863 - Jan. 1887

OWENS, Susan, wife of Thomas Owens
Jan. 25, 183? - June 14, 1882

The following three persons are on the same stone:
BEASLEY, Lydia Owens, dau. of Thomas & Ailcey Owens, and wife of B.C. Beasley
Nov. 28, 1818 - June 12, 1845
BEASLEY, Thomas, son of B.C. & Lydia Beasley
died 1840, age 9 months
BEASLEY, Infant daughter of same
died 1845, age 3 weeks

LONG, Mary, daughter of Robert & Elizabeth Long
died July 20, 1817 (b. 1789), age 28
also on her left hand lies her niece Martha Monfoord.

LONG, Martha, daughter of Robert & Elizabeth Long
died Oct. 29, 1825

WEIR, Nancy Long
1799 - July 17, 1875

WEIR, Dr. Thomas1800 - July 14, 1880DR. THOMAS WEIR
(1800-1880) Dr. Weir studied medical education under Robert Long who
operated an academy on Duncan's Creek. After working his way through the
Medical College of South Carolina, he began practicing medicine in what was
to become Clinton. He was a large planter, owning 67 slaves in 1860. He was
a delegate to the Secession Convention and his name stands proudly upon the
Ordinance of Secession. All four of his sons were in the Confederate Army,
three died. The family was for 150 years closely associated with Duncan's
Creek Presbyterian Church where Dr. Weir was an elder and is buried.

WIER, Lt. Robert Long
died near Centerville, Va. Nov. 5, 1861, age 32, C.S.A.

WIER, Lt. Samuel Laurens, fell in the Battle of the Wilderness, Va.
May 5, 1864, age 21 (body lies in an unknown grave)

WIER, Capt. Harrison Kern, fell in battle at Deep Bottom, Va
July 28, 1864, age 24, (born 1840)
These three sons of Dr. Thomas & Nancy Long Wier died in communion of the Presbyterian
Church and were martyrs to the Confederate War.

BEASLEY George
Dec. 16, 1842, killed and buried in Maryland July 11, 1863

BYRD, William Paradon, infant son of G.& E.C. Byrd
died March 20, 1848, age 2 yrs., 6 months

DUCKETT, Elizabeth
died Sept. 3, 1822, aged 21

UNDERWOOD, Mr. Isaac
died Aug. 19, 1819, aged 37
Also near this marble stone is entered the bodies of his mother, Sarah Underwood, his sister, Sarah Holland, and his nephew and niece William and Sarah, son and daughter of his brother, John Underwood.

GRAHAM, Nancy
July 4, 1813 - Oct. 21, 1824

COPELAND, John, Sr.
died Sept. 7, 1826, aged about 78 years (born about 1748 in Ireland).

COPELAND, Margaret (Blakely), consort of John Copeland, Sr.
died Feb. 27, 1844, aged about 86 years.
(supplemental information, not on stone: born 1758 in Ireland)

BRADDOCK, Francis
died July 30, 1828, aged 60 yearsIn memory of
Francis Braddock
Who departed this
life July 30th 1828
in the 60th year of his age.

BRADDOCK, Ann, wife of above
died Nov. 2, 1828, age 70Ann's original stone said:
In memory of
Ann Braddock
wife of Francis Braddock
Who departed this
life November 2nd 1828
in the 70th year of her life.

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